A so-called head airbag, also referred to as a curtain airbag or window airbag, essentially unfolds on a vehicle interior in the event of an accident, in order to protect the head area of occupants in the event of a side impact or a rollover of the vehicle in particular and prevent the head of an occupant from projecting outward unprotected through an open side window during the accident.
Fastening the head airbag and the gas generator for filling the head airbag on an inner roof frame, which advantageously keeps the pathway of the filling gas between gas generator and head airbag short, is known from EP 1 221 400 B1. Not only does the installation space for the gas generator disadvantageously impair the head area of the passenger compartment in this case, but rather the noise generation of the activated gas generator also impairs the hearing of the occupants located in direct proximity to the gas generator.
DE 199 55 023 A1, EP 0 889 807 B1, and DE 101 33 454 A1 therefore propose situating the gas generator on the A or B column of the vehicle body. U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,660 B1, which discloses a motor vehicle like the above-mentioned publications, lists a dashboard and a girder structure of the vehicle body as possible fastening locations in addition to the fastening on the A column.
Fastening on a dashboard, which does not represent a part of the vehicle body, but rather is in turn supported thereon, is not optimal for the fastening of the gas generator, because high acceleration forces are developed upon its triggering and must be supported using correspondingly large retention forces. The known fastening on the A column, which essentially extends in the vehicle vertical and longitudinal directions, is also not optimal in regard to the retention forces to be absorbed and the deformation of the vehicle body in the event of an accident, upon which the gas generator is to be triggered in particular.
At least one object of the present invention is to provide an improved head airbag system. In addition, other objects, desirable features, and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.